Rainy Day Ramblings

Wow. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress that rules need to be changed and enforced because there were flaws in the system?

You think?

Things change. When Jimmy Carter was the President things were regulated so majorly that any chance of breathing without permission was almost illegal. Ronald Reagan began the process of deregulation and this was carried on through Bush, Clinton, and finally George W. Bush really let things loose and did not provide agencies that had any remaining oversight with the adequate or even capable staff to do what little oversight there was left to do. Bam. Now the process will start over again. If history does repeat itself, we will begin a process of oversight that will build up for many years and begin the cycle again.

We will, of course, have people foaming at the mouth saying all of this is a form of (insert meaningless cliche or label here) and that all of this is typical of people who ascribe to (insert meaningless cliche or label here). The more I observe of this kind of label making the more convinced I am that we becoming a nation of cliche driven, label making fools who can no longer talk about complexities. Very sad.

I do have a long term fear. I have been distressed for a very long time that we are a two party nation. I know that there are ‘other’ parties, but they have not yet had much of an impact on our governmental process. Having only two parties, I believe, is part of the peril we are in right now. Worse, at the moment, is that we are evolving into a one party system. Karl Rove’s effort to make it a one party system failed miserably for his party, and place their opponents in a very powerful position. Not having a viable second party is not a good thing. Not having a loyal opposition that offers viable options, is not helpful to the overall health of the country.

The Republican Party was once a party of big ideas. The party of Goldwater, of Buckley, Lincoln, and of George Will, was a party that promoted intellectualism and big ideas. They were the party of the intellectuals and the and people they now call the intellectual elite. They seem to have evolved into a party of anti-intellectualism, and of just saying that everyone who has a different perspective from them is a (insert meaningless cliche or label here). And, they will fight to the death to be able to use those meaningless cliches and labels and whatever else.

People like this still exist within the Republican Party. I know people who are like this and who I respect a great deal. They are incredible good people, intelligent people, who can talk with ease about complexities and policies. Sadly, much of the party has been taken over by people who are unwilling to think ‘big’ and who are unwilling to discuss complex things in a complex way. Why learn when you can just call someone a (insert meaningless cliche or label here). I hope things do change.

Every day there is a new story about the ‘octomom.’ Today the big news was that she spent one day as a topless dancer. I keep wondering why it is that we keep reading about her in the news and watching her interviewed on television. I really have no need to hear or learn anything more about this woman.

Shawn Johnson and Lawrence Taylor are not dance partners on Dancing with the Stars, but both contestants. Johnson is a tiny young woman whose background is in gymnastics and Taylor was the most feared defensive player of all time. Johnson is light on her feet and tiny. Taylor dances like a guy who has played a very bruising game in a very bruising manner, and is quite large. Actually, they are both pretty amazing, just an incredible study in contrasts. One thing hasn’t changed, however, with Taylor on the scene. The injured list of his opponents is growing----something Taylor was amazing good at doing. Ironically, he was not the cause of the injuries on the show. Maybe the injuries are self-inflicted because they are worrying about Taylor’s tacking ability.

I have had to deal with the issue of spam more and more. To operate a computer now you have to have so much protection on it that it can make you absolutely crazy. Between spam, malware, viruses, etc., it is positively infuriating. I can’t help but wonder who does this kind of stuff?

And the company that sends me about 25 e-mails a day offering me big deals on Viagra, here is the news. I will never do business with you so you can stop sending me the e-mails.

I was watching the news the other night and the situation in Mexico sounds really bad. REALLY bad. When they discuss the rise in ‘beheadings’ and not just murder, it is downright chilling. I recognize that a murder is a murder and the end result is the same, but being beheaded just sounds a little worse. It’s very dreadful what is taking place just south of our nation’s border. I hope that people realize that this is not just ‘their’ problem but that we are involved as well.

On the economic front, I have listened to more economists than I ever knew existed. The question before us is a constant: Are we doing the right thing to get us out of this mess? President Obama certainly thinks so and lots of economists think so as well. Others, however, say that he is plunging us into a depression. As I have listened to the arguments of the economists I really don’t know what the right answer is. Obviously if the leading economic minds are disagreeing with each other than not knowing the answer is probably a fairly reasonable spot to be in. Of course, the only ones who do KNOW the right answers are going around saying that every possible solution is either (insert meaningless cliche or label here) or (insert meaningless cliche or label here).